Police in Mau-Summit, Nakuru County are investigating two incidents in which two suspected livestock thieves were lynched by angry villagers.
In a statement, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) said police officers also recovered a firearm from one of the suspects.
In the first incident, a suspect identified as Antony Cheruiyot, 43, was lynched in his home for allegedly stealing sheep. The angry mob stormed his homestead around 10pm and descended on the victim leading to his death.
“The suspect believed to be a habitual offender had a pending court case at the Molo Law Courts, where he had been accused of a similar offence after being found in possession of 11 stolen sheep on April 29, 2023. He was out on bond. The firearm, a berretta pistol, was booked at Mau Summit Police Station,” the DCI said in a statement.
In another case that was reported a few kilometers from the first one, area residents cornered another suspect who was accused of stealing two cows.
In a statement, the DCI said victim’s accomplice managed to flee the scene with life threatening injuries.
“Police officers from Sirikwa Police Station rushed to the scene after getting wind of the incident, only to find the charred remains of the suspect. The stolen livestock was however recovered and handed back to the owner. Meanwhile, a manhunt for the suspect who escaped is currently ongoing,” the DCI said.
Four days ago, a man who was lynched by an angry mob which suspected him of ferrying stolen sheep, was laid to rest at his home in Nyandarua County.
Mr Samuel King’ori Maina was murdered in cold-blooded when the angry residents cornered him and assaulted him before lynching him in a case that was condemned by political leaders and the police.
However, the man’s family claimed that he had been hired to ferry the sheep when he was attacked and the lorry he was driving also burnt down.
